Lost on Planet G889
by Joan Powers
An Earth 2/Lost in Space crossover.
A/N: I adore both of these shows so I couldn't resist. In many ways, Earth 2 was what I always wanted Lost in Space to be. Chapters will alternate POV, i.e. Chapter 1 Lost in Space, Chapter 2 Earth 2, etc… Characters from both shows will be featured. New chapters will be posted daily. For those needing background information about either show, I have information and photos for both shows posted on my LJ. PM me and I'll send you the links. If you're reading, I'd love to hear from you.
Rating: PG/K
Genre: scifi/drama
Pairings: All established couples, Don/Judy and Devon/Danziger angst
Timeline: Post series ending for both shows
Summary: During their trek to New Pacifica, Eden Advance encounters a marooned space family. How do they account for the fact that they've each had such different experiences in their travels across the universe?
Chapter 1
Tuesday August 2nd
Judy glanced up from the tending the hydroponic garden. Don was rushing out of the spaceship. Pleased to see him, she smiled, only to be greeted by an abrupt, "Have you seen Smith?"
So much for sharing a romantic moment. There had been far too few of those lately. And even when they'd managed to squeeze in a secluded interval, Dr. Smith's name crept up far too frequently. True, that man had once again managed to sabotage their mission, resulting in their crash landing on yet another unknown planet. It was frustrating. But dwelling on it didn't solve anything. Why didn't Don understand that?
Judy sighed. "No. What's he done now?" Not that she really wanted to hear about it. Her sympathy for the man was running short after so many incidents.
"He's supposed to be helping me load the Chariot with additional gear for the drill site."
"Drill site? You mean-"
"Yeah, we found a vein of deutronium ore a couple miles away. If I could just find Smith…" He pounded his fist into his palm.
Judy was impressed. They'd crash landed onto this planet two weeks ago and in that time the men had already initiated repairs on the Jupiter 2 and located a potential source of rocket fuel. Then again, after three years of being lost in space, they'd all become experts at 'pioneer resourcefulness'. Look at the dinners her mother routinely threw together from limited ingredients. Somehow she even managed to bake chocolate cakes. She, Penny and her mother had already identified several edible, indigenous plants. The thriving garden about her also attested to Judy's contributions.
"Great, just great," Don muttered as he stormed off.
Judy sighed again as she brushed a stray tendril of blonde hair away from her face. Some things never seemed to change. Who ever thought being marooned on so many deserted planets with the supposed man of your dreams would be so…dull.
Her expression altered as she focused on the surroundings. Of course, the all too familiar hydroponic garden, dining table and camp stools greeted her, along with the ever present force field generator nestled just outside of their space ship, the Jupiter 2.
Yet, this planet was somehow different from the others. So many alien worlds they'd visited consisted mainly of rocks and sand, along with dull, monochromatic color schemes. And the few worlds which had been more colorful featured hues so bold they almost seemed artificial. Most of the plant life had seemed equally unreal - stunted, stiff and unnatural compared with Earth specimens.
But this planet... Perhaps Smith's meddling which had brought about the crash had been a blessing in disguise. She breathed deeply, practically giddy with the sensation of such fresh air in her lungs. Over her years of space travel, only this planet reminded her so much of Earth.
They were in an arid region with sandy, rocky soil, presumably during the summer months with high temperatures during the day. Towering pines covered nearby hills. Adjoining rock formations varied in hue, with colorful wild flowers popping up through the cracks. Occasional bird songs filled the air.
Her younger sister, Penny, had befriended an odd biped creature. The brownish being stood about two feet tall with a leathery hide and an overly large head and eyes. Its 'hands' featured impressive elongated claws, yet thus far the creature seemed good natured and not inclined to use them. Debbie, the bloop, a chimp-like animal they'd picked up on Priplanus, hadn't been thrilled by the small interloper which had adopted her campsite. She stuck her tongue out and ran off whenever she encountered it. Instead of dressing the creature, newly dubbed Teena, in doll clothes, Penny enjoyed studying its mannerisms.
As always, foreign constellations littered the heavens. Hopefully Don or her father could get a bearing on their location, though for now, it was a moot point. This planet had a distinctive feature – twin moons, huddled together in the sky.
It should have been twice as romantic, Judy thought. Then she ruefully shook her head. Somehow there was never time for romance.
XXXX
"William!" Dr. Smith bellowed.
Laden with a heavy back pack which had the tip of a small shovel pointing out the top, Will labored to climb the narrow ledge leading up the hillside.
"We don't have all day. Don't dawdle."
The boy paused to catch his breath, wiping sweat from his brow with his forearm. "This is no where near the drill site, Dr. Smith. Dad and Don might need these tools."
"Nonsense. I'm sure your father and the Major have the situation under control."
"Shouldn't we be helping them? Not running off on some wild goose chase."
"Goose chase, indeed," Dr. Smith's voice was laced with disapproval. "I don't mean to alarm you, but it's always good to have back up. One never knows how much deutronium your father will be able to mine from that particular vein. Consider this an advance scouting mission."
"Okay. But why are we looking here?" They had hiked miles from camp and the terrain had grown progressively steeper and rockier.
"Call it intuition, my boy."
More to himself, Will sighed, "Oh brother."
"Come, come. We haven't got all day."
Will readjusted his pack and resumed climbing.
Dr. Smith wasn't about to explain his so-called insight. When he'd seen a flash of light across the horizon last night, he'd picked up the binoculars and, with the Robot's assistance, traced it roughly to this vicinity. In his mind, it could only mean one thing. A fallen meteor. That meant precious metals or gems. A valuable bargaining tool in any economy. Even the vilest of aliens understood their value. One never knew what beings they might encounter on this planet. It paid to be prepared.
"I hope your father finds plenty of deutronium so we can lift off from this dismal place as soon as possible," Dr. Smith lamented.
"It seems pretty nice to me."
"Stranded in the middle of nowhere? I think not. As a highly intelligent being, I require more civilized amenities. Crêpe Suzette, caviar, champagne…"
Will chuckled. As always, Dr. Smith was predictable. "I don't know. In some ways, it reminds me of home. I like it." When he wasn't burdened with such a heavy pack, he was enjoying hiking and exploring the terrain, with its varied rock formations. He'd collected lots of interesting specimens. The abundance of plant life also fascinated him. He'd even gone fishing in the nearby stream, catching enough fish to supply supper for several nights.
They paused, reaching the summit.
Dr. Smith scanned about with obvious disappointment. According to the Robot's calculations, the light had originated from this area. All he saw was more of the same – rocks, sparse clumps of grass, some tall pines. Had that tin plated ninny made an error in his calculations? There was no sign of his precious meteor.
"What's going on?" Will asked.
Then Dr. Smith noticed the opening of a cave. Small, dark spaces had never appealed to him. Yet even if that bubble headed booby had messed things up, after such an arduous climb, Will could investigate while he rested. After all, a man of his age wasn't accustomed to such exertion.
"After you," Dr. Smith gestured to the opening.
Will reminded him. "There's not going to be any deutronium inside there."
"You of little faith. Must I remind you that serendipity doesn't always make sense?"
"Huh?"
"Step forward, young man."
Will didn't move. "You're the one with the 'intuition'."
The boy was becoming less pliable as he matured. Smith began to snivel, "But…my agoraphobia, my poor back…"
Recognizing the familiar litany, Will bent to enter the cave. Looking back over his shoulder, he asked, "Did you bring a flash light?"
"Can't say that I did."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" He stepped inside as Dr. Smith sank onto a rock.
"Oh the pain, the pain." He rubbed the small of his back.
A moment later, the boy's voice carried back. "Wow. What's this?"
Curiosity piqued, Dr. Smith cautiously followed. The cavern chamber was filled with an eerie orange light emitting from some similarly colored rocks, clustered within a wall.
"They seem to be…vibrating. Almost as if they're alive." Will studied the glowing orange rocks with interest. "Do you suppose they're a life form on this planet?"
"Fascinating, William." Dr. Smith deadpanned. Who really cared? They wouldn't be a form of life that could help him and that's all that mattered. What a waste. Still, perhaps those rocks had some unusual properties that could be beneficial.
"Be careful," Will warned as Dr. Smith grasped a stone.
"Ouch! That's hot." He nursed his singed palm. "I've never seen anything like it." That would certainly make it a valuable commodity for some one.
Will was also intrigued. "I wonder what makes them glow. The vibrating could almost be a language that they're speaking to each other. I'd like to get a sample to take back to the ship and study."
He knelt to open his pack, then dug around for some tools. He also removed a silver bag.
"This insulated sack ought to hold them all right." Will began to dig with his pick, to loosen a sample. Minutes later, he placed the glowing rock in the bag and started to cinch it.
"Certainly you're going to take more than that." Dr. Smith added, "They might be useful."
Will proceeded to use his pick to loosen a few more of the glowing orange rocks and place them in the bag as well.
As Will worked, Dr. Smith spoke rather solemnly to the rocks, embedded in the cavern wall, "I dub thee…" He needed a suitable name. One with appropriate grandeur. Cosmonium immediately came to mind. Yet that brought back bad memories of his work of art come to life, attacking him and ultimately being destroyed. "I dub thee… Luna Light. No…Lunite."
Will stifled a chuckle as he stowed the bag in his pack.
Suddenly, a rumbling sound filled the cavern and several tall almost skeletal creatures erupted from the walls surrounding them. Yet those walls didn't collapse, somehow the earth colored creatures had managed to pass right through them. They carried primitive looking staffs. Strange sounds filled the air.
"Dididididi"
It was so distorted, it sounded as if the creatures were speaking underwater. Their speech was unintelligible.
"William!" Dr. Smith shrieked in horror as the aliens stepped towards them. "Run!"
"Shouldn't we figure out what they want?" the boy asked, while hastily closing his backpack.
"Run!"
TBC